26 | WORLD INSTABILITY | Country suffered years of political turmoil beginning in the 2009 coup Madagascar headed for crisis as court stems sacking of president Leader attacked in concerted move by Rajoelina and Ravalomanana ANTANANARIVO, Sunday M adagascar is headed for a new political crisis after the constitutional court threw out parliament’s bid to dismiss President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. The opposition, which controls parliament, rejected the ruling. The court said impeachment proceedings launched last month had “no legal foundation” and that the president had not violated the constitution. Mr Rajaonarimampianina has been in office for 16 months and it was hoped his election would end years of political unrest in the country. Under Madagascar’s constitution, an impeachment vote requires a twothirds majority of the 151 members of the national assembly. Mr Rajaonarimampianina had chal- lenged the validity of last month’s impeachment saying many MPs who said they had voted were not in parliament at the time. Reacting to Saturday’s court deci- sion to throw out the vote, the head of the president’s HVM party, Rivo Rakotovao, said: “Everyone must submit to the decision of the constitutional court.” In a comment issued just after the ruling, opposition spokesman Pierre Houleder called it “ridiculous”. The parliamentary opposition to President Rajaonarimampianina is led by former strongman Andry Rajoelina. Correspondents say the president is being attacked by both Mr Rajoelina and another former president, Marc Ravalomanana - both of whom were forced to withdraw from the 2013 presidential election won by Mr Rajaonarimampianina. Madagascar suffered years of political turmoil beginning in 2009, when Mr Rajoelina ousted Mr Rav- BACKGROUND Violations of the law, incompetence Violations: The country’s parliament had voted overwhelmingly in late May to dismiss Rajaonarimampianina for alleged constitutional violations and general incompetence. Threat: The current political crisis, if not resolved quickly, is threatening to derail the Indian Ocean country’s fragile peace and economic development. alomanana. The coup left the country isolated in the international community and deprived of foreign aid. The court has stated that the accusations of treason, violating the constitution and disregarding presidential duties were unfounded and the impeachment was therefore inadmissible. Mr Rajaonarimampianina, a trained accountant, came to power after 2013 elections vowing to end the turmoil that followed a coup in 2009. PHOTO | AFP Protesters confront Malagasy Police forces as they take position around the Constitutional High Court where lawmakers and lawyers were presenting a case on Madagascar president Hery Rajaonarimampianina in Antananarivo. His critics say he has failed to deliver on his economic programme in the desperately poor nation and accuse him of stalling on the establishment of a high court and on promised reforms. Mr Rakotovao, said the next step “now depends on the behaviour of the lawmakers”. He said parliament could be dis- solved if lawmakers continue to block the work of the government. The opposition said the only solu- tion was an election. “The solution to Madagascar’s problems now is to ask the people’s opinion in a presidential election,” said Augustin Andriamananoro, vice-president of the Mapar party. The president is being attacked on two fronts, by both the island’s former strongman Rajoelina and another former president, Ravalomanana. Both were forced to withdraw from the 2013 presidential election won by Rajaonarimampianina. Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries in the world and is heavily dependent on foreign aid that was virtually cut off following the coup six years ago. The World Bank on Friday cut the island’s growth forecast for 2015 to 3.5 per cent from 4.0 per cent and said the political instability was a factor in its decision. “Political stability is a contributing factor to development and that is what is worrying us for the future,” said Coralie Gevers, the World Bank’s representative in Madagascar. (AFP, BBC) TO COMMENT ON THESE AND OTHER STORIES GO TO www.nation.co.ke Sierra Leone eases Ebola restrictions after parliamentary vote BY KEMO CHAM NATION Correspondent in Freetown Just hours after parliament voted to extend the state of emergency declared to halt the Ebola epidemic, Sierra Leone`s President Ernest Bai Koroma has announced new measures that seek to ease restrictions in parts of the country while tightening them in a few persistent hot spots. He has declared a dusk to dawn curfew in two districts - Kambia and Port Loko – in the north of the country that are still recording new cases. Kambia is on the border with Guinea, the origin of the epidemic. The announcement by the President follows a decision by parliament to extend for the second time the Public State of Health Emergency which was first declared last year in the face of the ravaging epidemic. MPs voted to extend it for further 90 days, following a heated debate. The move also comes amidst growing calls from civil society and religious leaders for a relaxation. Abouts 6, 546 people have died in Sierra Leone alone since the epidemic erupted early last year and spread to neighbouring Liberia, before reaching Sierra Leone. Liberia was declared free of the virus in May by the World Health organization. In Sierra Leone 11 out of 14 districts have gone for over 42 days without new cases. Kambia, Port Loko and Western Area, which include Freetown, remain the hot spots, but most of the cases are said to be coming from the northern districts. Opposition MPs wanted the two isolated, instead of the whole country remaining restricted. DAILY NATION Monday June 15, 2015 OUT IN THE STREET 12 dead as tigers and lions roam Tbilisi after floods P.30 Habre lawyers sue over heart attack BY TAMBA MATTHEW NATION Correspondent DAKAR, Sunday The lawyers of imprisoned former Chadian leader, Hissene Habré have lodged a complaint against the medical officials of the special jail where their client is being held. Local media quoted sources today as saying that the complaint was lodged on Friday after the news filtered that Mr Habré’s health was deteriorating in jail. He is alleged to have suffered a heart attack twice over the last week. The lawyers argue that the ail- ment was due to the green light given by President Macky Sall for the trial to go ahead. The lawyers also accused the government of Senegal of being manoeuvred by the French and Dutch governments by “forcing” their client to appear in court “against all odds”. The incident follows Mr Habré’s scuffle with jail officers on June 3, 2015 when the former leader allegedly attempted to resist appearance for the first time before the special court. Mr Habré was finally overpow- ered and appeared but refused to answer questions asked by judges of the AU-backed court in a bid to ascertain his identity. The former leader was allegedly acting upon the instructions of his lawyers, sources said. Following the failure to have him respond to any of the questions, the court adjourned his case to July 20, 2015. Mr Habré has been held in jail for nearly two years after successfully dodging trial since he was overthrown in a military coup in 1990 He is charged with crimes against humanity and for assassinating about 40,000 of his opponents while was in power between 1982 and 1990. BRIEFLY MOGADISHU Top Al-Shabaab leader killed in Somalia A senior Al-Shabaab leader was killed on Friday night in a covert operation by Somali army in the southern region, officials said on Saturday. Aden Abdi Mohamed, Deputy Mayor of Hudur in Bakool region, told Xinhua Al-Shabaab leader Qasim Sheikh was killed after government troop cornered him. ‘‘Our forces launched an operation after receiving intelligence that Sheikh was hiding in the Abal village, 18 kilometres out of Hudur. There was no resistance and Qasim was killed on the spot,” said Mohamed. (Xinhua)